Buckles

ABSTRACT

A buckle, e.g., for fastening shoes or the like, the buckle comprising a buckle member and a securing member, one of the members comprising a projection which can be passed through an aperture in an article to which the buckle is to be attached and the other member being adapted to cooperate with said projection to secure the buckle to the article.

United States Patent 11 1 Willey July 31, 1973 [54] BUCKLES 3,009,381 11/1961 Rapata 24/90 PR 1761 laaaaaaa Sally Maaaaaaa Walla Plan C, 622 13151312 511322 3223221 11: 311333113311113131 521331 2 Finchley Rd., Golders Green, London, N.W. 11, England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: May 19, 1971 27,129 3/1905 Great Britain 24/180 850,869 9/1970 Canada 24/90 PR [21] Appl. No.: 144,852 539,476 4 1957 718,149 10/1966 538,789 11 1931 Germany 24/l86 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 20, 1970 Great Britain 24,483/70 Primary Examiner JameS T. Mccan Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marquette [52] US. Cl 24/172, 24/90 PR, 24/174, A l

24017 orney Larson, Tay or & mds [51] Int. Cl. A44b 11/20, A44b 11/25 [58] Field of Search 24/180, 186, 172-174, [57] ABSTRACT 24/188 A buckle, e.g., for fastening shoes or the like, the buckle comprising a buckle member and a securing member, one of the members comprising a projection [56] References Cited which can be passed through an aperture in an article UNITED STATES PATENTS to which the buckle is to be attached and the other 352,996 11/1886 Miller 24/176 member being adapted to cooperate with said projec- 3,533.554 ll/1970 Ford tion to secure the buckle to the article. 2,693,625 ll/l954 Van Buren 7 879,465 2/1908 Holmes 24/ 186 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU M3 3.748.700

SHEET 2 [IF 2 BUCKLES This invention relates to buckles, e.g., to buckles for use in fastening shoes.

Conventional buckles as applied to childrens shoes and other articles generally comprise a pair of spaced bars and an intermediate bar arranged between said spaced bars, a strap to be fastened being threaded under one of said spaced bars, over the intermediate bar and under the other of said spaced bars and being secured in fastened position by passing a retaining pin hingedly mounted on the intermediate bar and adapted to engage one of said spaced bars through an aperture in the strap. Such conventional buckles are normally attached to the shoe or the like by sewing said intermediate bar to the shoe or other article.

The present invention has as its object to provide a buckle, e.g., for childrens shoes or other articles, which can readily be attached to a shoe or other article without the need for sewing.

To this end the present invention provides a buckle comprising a buckle member and a securing member, one of said members comprising a projection which can be passed through an aperture in an article to which the buckle is to be attached and other member being adapted to cooperate with said projection to secure the buckle to the article.

According to one embodiment of the present invention said buckle member has an aperture formed therein, e.g., in the intermediate bar portion thereof, and the securing member comprises a projection adapted to engage in said aperture with a snap fit. Thus, the projection may have a shoulder formed thereon adapted to engage the buckle member around said aperture when the projection is engaged in the aperture. The shoulder may be provided by an enlargement on said projection, the enlargement being tapered to facilitate its insertion through the aperture. The peripheral wall of the apertue may likewise taper inwardly from the underside of the buckle member to the upperside thereof to provide a lead-in for the projection.

The securing member may comprise a base portion on which said projection is provided, the base portion being in the form of a disc or plate adapted to lie flat against that surface of an article to which the buckle is attached opposite the surface on which the buckle is attached.

According to another embodiment of the present invention the buckle member has a projection formed integrally therewith and adapted to pass through a said aperture in an article to which the buckle is to be attached and the securing member is adapted to cooperate with said projection to secure the buckle to a said article.

Said projection may be in the form of a pin, stud or the like formed integrally with the intermediate bar of the buckle and said securing member may be in the form of a washer or like apertured member adapted to make a snap or force fit with the projection. Preferably said projection has an enlarged head portion and the securing member is in the form of a washer which can be forced past said enlarged head portion to secure the buckle to a shoe or other article having an aperture therein through which the projection has been passed. To ensure a tight fixation of the buckle to a shoe or other article despite variations in the thickness of material from which such articles are made, the securing washer may be dish-shaped and may be adapted to flex when applied to said projection with its concave side leading. If desired the outer circumferential margin of the securing washer may be divided by a series of radially-extending slots or slits into a series of radially extending tongues which improve the flexibility of the washer member and can also be adapted to bite into the material of an article to which the buckle is secured to provide a more secure fixation.

In order that the buckle may be formed, e.g., moulded, in one piece and in a single operation from a suitable synthetic plastics or other material, the hinged retaining pin of the conventional buckle may be dispensed with and instead the intermediate bar of the buckle may carry an integral retaining pin, which may if desired have an enlarged head portion, adapted to engage in an aperture in a strap threaded through the buckle to retain the strap in fastened position.

Where the buckle member and securing member are formed in accordance with the first embodiment described above, the retaining pin may be formed by an extension of the projection of the securing member, the projection of the securing member being adapted to pass through said aperture in the buckle and to extend upwardly from the intermediate bar portion of the buckle to form the retaining pin. In the alternative embodiment described above the retaining pin may be arranged on the intermediate bar portion of the buckle opposite said integral projection.

To facilitate the threading of a strap through the buckle one or both of said spaced bars may be apertured so that the strap can be engaged therewith simply by twisting the strap through the aperture.

In order that the invention may be the more readily understood reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a buckle according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the buckle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a buckle according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded end view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a buckle according to the present invention in use.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the buckle illustrated therein comprises a buckle member generally designated 1 and a securing member generally designated 2. The buckle member 1 comprises a substantially rectangular frame consisting of side portions 3, end portions 4 and an intermediate bar 5. One end portion 4 is apertured at 4a. Theintermediate bar 5 has an aperture 6 therein which tapers inwardly from the underside of the bar 5 to the top thereof as shown in FIG. 2.

The securing member 2 comprises abase portion 7 in the form of a substantially flat disc on which is provided a projection 8 having a shoulder 9 provided by an enlargement 10, the enlargement 10 being tapered as shown to facilitate its being forced through the aperture 6 in the intermediate bar 5. The projection 8 is adapted to pass through the aperture 6 in the intermediate bar 5 and to extend upwardly from the intermediate bar 5 to provide a strap retaining pin or stud l I having an enlarged head portion lla when the securing member 2 is assembled with the buckle member 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, in which like reference numberals have been used to designate like parts, the intermediate bar portion 5 of the buckle member 1 has an integral projection 12 extending downwardly therefrom and an integral retaining pin or stud 11 extending upwardly therefrom. The projection 12 has an enlarged head portion 12a. The securing member 2 of this embodiment is in the form ofa dished washer 13 adapted to make a snap fit with the projection 12. The washer 13 is formed from a flexible material and has radial slots 14 therein which increase the flexibility thereof, this flexibility of the washer together with the dishing thereof ensuring that the washer will act in the manner of a spring when applied to the projection 12 to accommodate different thicknesses of the material of articles to,which the buckle is to be attached.

FIG. 6 shows a buckle according to the present invention in use. As will be seen the buckle member 1, which may be either as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, has been secured to the article 15, which may be a strapfastening shoe or sandal, by means of a securing member 2 (not shown). The strap 16 of the article has been threaded through the buckle and the retaining pin or stud 11 has been engaged in one ofa series of apertures 17 in the strap 16. The aperture 4a in one of the end portions 4 of the buckle enables the strap 16 to be engaged under this end portion 4 simply by twisting the strap 16 through the aperture 4a.

Both the buckle member 1 and the securing member 2 in each of the above described embodiments is moulded from a suitable synthetic plastics material such as nylon or like polyamide material.

What is claimed is:

l. A buckle comprising a frame member having an intermediate laterally extending bar portion and a slot 'on either side of the intermediate bar portion for the reception of a strap, a securing member, said securing member including a projection which can be passed through an aperture in an article to which the buckle is to be attached and said frame member including means for cooperating with said projection to secure the buckle to the article, and a retaining stud which is formed integrally with said securing member and which projects upwardly from the intermediate bar portion when the buckle is inuse, said stud being engageable in an aperture of a strap threaded through said slots for retaining the strap in fastened position, said frame member including an aperture formed in the intermediate bar portion thereof and said projection engaging in said aperture with a snap fit.

2. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein said projection has a shoulder formed thereon for engaging the frame member around said aperture when the projection is engaged in the aperture.

3. A buckle according to claim 2 wherein said shoulder is provided by an enlargement on said projection, said enlargement being tapered to facilitate insertion thereof through said aperture.

4. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall of said aperture tapers inwardly from the underside of the frame member to the upperside thereof.

5. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said securing member comprises a base portion on which said projection is provided, the base portion being in the form of a disc.

6. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said projection is adapted to pass through said aperture and to extend upwardly from the intermediate bar portion of the frame member to provide said retaining stud.

7. A buckle according to claim 6 wherein that part of taining stud is moulded from nylon. 

1. A buckle comprising a frame member having an intermediate laterally extending bar portion and a slot on either side of the intermediate bar portion for the reception of a strap, a securing member, said securing member including a projection which can be passed through an aperture in an article to which the buckle is to be attached and said frame member including means for cooperating with said projection to secure the buckle to the article, and a retaining stud which is formed integrally with said securing member and which projects upwardly from the intermediate bar portion when the buckle is in use, said stud being engageable in an aperture of a strap threaded through said slots for retaining the strap in fastened position, said frame member including an aperture formed in the intermediate bar portion thereof and said projection engaging in said aperture with a snap fit.
 2. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein said projection has a shoulder formed thereon for engaging the frame member around said aperture when the projection is engaged in the aperture.
 3. A buckle according to claim 2 wherein said shoulder is provided by an enlargement on said projection, said enlargement being tapered to facilitate insertion thereof through said aperture.
 4. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall of said aperture tapers inwardly from the underside of the frame member to the upperside thereof.
 5. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said securing member comprises a base portion on which said projection is provided, the base portion being in the form of a disc.
 6. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said projection is adapted to pass through said aperture and to extend upwardly from the intermediate bar portion of the frame member to provide said retaining stud.
 7. A buckle according to claim 6 wherein that part of said projection forming said retaining stud has an enlarged head portion.
 8. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein said frame member is formed from a synthetic plastics material.
 9. A buckle according to claim 8 wherein said frame member is moulded from nylon.
 10. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein said retaining stud is formed from a synthetic plastics material.
 11. A buckle according to cLaim 10 wherein said retaining stud is moulded from nylon. 